Kidnapped KwaZulu-Natal baby found

Police arrested a 21-year-old pupil at a school in Msinsini, about 50 kilometres from Umzinto, in connection with the kidnapping.

A two-month-old baby girl was found unharmed on Monday six days after she was abducted from her mother’s home in Umzinto, KwaZulu-Natal, police said.

In a statement, police said they arrested a 21-year-old pupil at a school in Msinsini, about 50 kilometres from Umzinto in connection with the kidnapping at 11am on Monday morning.

“The suspect led them to a house in Turton where the baby, Sbahle Vapi, was found,” the statement said.

“The baby appeared to be in good health and was being bottle-fed by the suspect. She is being taken to the hospital for a medical assessment.”

Little Sbahle was kidnapped last week. According to the baby’s mother, she came to the aid of a woman who claimed she was the victim of abuse and was left destitute with no place to stay.

The mother said she met the woman at the Umzinto taxi rank on August 28 and decided to offer her a place to stay.

“At approximately 20:00, the woman complained of a headache and asked her host to get some painkillers from her neighbours. Leaving her baby behind, the mother went to get the painkillers but returned a short while later to find that the woman she took pity on and her baby girl had disappeared.”

The arrested woman is expected to appear in the Umzinto Magistrate’s court on Wednesday on a charge of kidnapping.

– African News Agency (ANA)

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